Benfica sends Adu to Lisbon rival Belenenses on loan.

(Tuesday, September 1, 2009) -- Benfica made it clear it had no use for Freddy Adu, but the American midfielder will be staying in Lisbon and the Portugese first division

Waiting until yesterday, the final day of the summer transfer window, Benfica sent Adu on a full-season loan to Portugese Liga and city rival CF Os Belenenses.

While Benfica fashions itself a contender forr the first-division championship, finishing third in 2008-09 at 17-5-8 with 59 points, 11 behind league winner Porto, Belenenses (5-16-9, 24 points) placed 15th in the 16-team league, rising above relegation by a point.

Three games into the new season, Benfica is 2-0-1 with seven points, tied for second behind Sporting Braga, the club that defeated Belenenses 3-1 Saturday. Belenenses, which hasn't captured a title in more than two decades, is 1-1-1 with four points, tied for sixth place. In its next match, Benfica visits Belenenses September 13.

Adu was on the verge of being loaned to Odense of Denmark earlier in the month, but talks fell apart over the issue of how much of his salary Benfica would pay.

It looks like its will be difficult for United States defender Oguchi Onyewu to get playing time with the first team at AC Milan. He was again on the bench, but did not play in Milan's embarrassing 4-0 loss Saturday to crosstown arch-rival Inter Milan.

Onyewu was brought in because Milan veteran center back Alessandro Nesta missed all of last season with injuries and it was not clear how he might play this season, while there was also an opening on the left side of the central defense. Nesta is back and playing at a very high level, while young Brazilian Thiago Silva is now coach Leonardo's choice at the other center-back position.

Milan went into crisis mode after the crushing loss to Inter, but its difficult to place much fault on the center of defense.

Cherundolo a regular for struggling Hannover

In the German Bundesliga, Hannover 96's difficult start to the season continues. With U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo playing 90 minutes as usual at right back Saturday, Hannover was unable to score and fell at home to Hoffenheim 1-0. Despite a coaching change, Hannover remains winless (0-1-1) at home so far this season as interim coach Andreas Bergmann struggles with a number of injured starters.

American midfielder Sal Zizzo was dressed, but didn't play for Hannover.

Problems persist for midfielder Michael Bradley at Borussia Mönchengladbach. After being replaced at halftime last weekend, coach Michael Frontzeck decided not to dress the American for Mönchengladbach's 2-0 victory Friday over FSV Mainz 05.

In the second-division 2Bundesliga action, American striker Kenny Cooper started again for 1860 Munich, but he and his teammates generated very little offense and played to a lackluster 0-0 draw Friday against last-place Ahlen. After three games without a win, 1860 is 1-2-1 with four points.

American goalkeeper David Yelldell faced numerous shots as his TuS Koblenz was outclassed in a 2-0 loss Friday to newly-relegated Energie Cottbus.

American forward Matt Taylor was a late substitute, coming on in the 88th minute of FSV Frankfurt's 3-0 loss Sunday at Alemannia Aachen.

American keeper Luis Robles was on the bench in Kaiserslautern's 0-0 draw Sunday at Paderborn.

In France's Ligue 1, U.S. striker Charlie Davies played 85 minutes in Sochaux's 1-0 decision over Monaco. Davies had a hand in the goal in the 19th minute when he was taken down in the penalty area by Monaco defender Sebastien Puygrenier after Davies had turned on him. The resultant successful penalty kick by Vaclav Sverkos proved decisive.

U.S. defender Carlos Bocanegra went the distance for Stade Rennes in a 2-2 road draw at Lens in a rough match that saw both teams have a man sent off and the two teams play 10-on-10 for the final 25 minutes.

Glasgow Rangers' Americans are sidelined

In Scotland's Premier League, DaMarcus Beasley dressed, but didn't play in Glasgow Rangers' 4-1 triumph over visiting Hamilton. His fellow U.S. midfielder, Maurice Edu, continues to recover from knee surgery.

In Denmark's Superliga, a number of Americans were on the field as AGF Aarhus visited Nordsjaelland and came away with a 2-0 triumph.

Midfielder Jeremiah White went 61 minutes and midfielder Benny Feilhaber played 70 for Aarhus and Michael Parkhurst went the distance for Nordsjaelland.

Both Feilhaber and White started midweek for Aarhus, which was ousted from the Danish Cup 1-0 by Viborg FF on a last-minute goal. White was shifted to outside back instead of his customary spot in midfield.

American defender Danny Califf, who has been in and out of the Midtjylland lineup, didn't play in FC Midtjylland's 1-0 setback at Aalborg BK. American striker Marcus Tracy did not play for Aalborg.

In Norway's Tippeligaen, American keeper Troy Perkins had a strong match for Valerenga IF Oslo in a 2-1 decision over Molde FK. Valerenga snapped a seven-match losing streak and gave it some breathing rook from the relegation zone.

American defender Clarence Goodson went 90 minutes in IK Start's 1-0 loss to SK Brann. Another American defender, Hunter Freeman did not dress for Start.

On the last day the transfer window was open, defender Heath Pearce signed with Turkish club Bursaspor in the Turkcell Super Lig. Pearce was released by German club Hansa Rostock where he had 30 appearances since joining the club in 2007. Pearce had offers to return to FC Dallas, in MLS, but chose to remain in Europe.